Monday, May 16, 2011

So I found another one of those Transformers Scout Class figures on sale for 5 bucks, and I just couldn't resist.

This is Firetrap. His card says he's some kind of Autobot weapons enthusiast. Whatever. He has guns and turns into a truck... what more do you need to know?

I'm not sure if this is a real type of truck, but I want one. I've always said I needed a cattle pusher on the front of anything I drive-- combine that with big freakin' cannons on top, and you get my perfect vehicle.

The bot mode is REALLY nice-- the main reason for getting the figure, in my opinion.

He has a really cool helmet and gas mask kind of face going on. Not exactly sure why a robot needs a gas mask, but who cares? He looks awesome. You can't really make it out in any of my pics, but the dark spots where the eyes are are quite recessed and have little goggle-type eyes inside of them. Pretty darned detailed for such a small figure.

As you can see, he has a very dynamic sculpt with lots of personality. He looks like a bruiser. He's a tad shorter than the other Scouts, but I think that gives him a certain charm. His color scheme and diminutive nature make me think about the old Generation 1 Transformers character Brawn. He's kind of like Brawn meets Ironhide.

Now... about those guns: this guy has 'em! He has two wrist-mounted cannons that can swivel on their bases and pivot up and down. This works in both modes, and it is awesome. The cannons aren't really meant to be removed, but you can pop them out of the sockets. They just look better on the wrists, and there's really no where else to store them anyway. He's poseable as all get out... he has at least 16 points of articulation in bot mode that aren't solely for transformation, so he can be put in all kinds of crazy poses!

And best of all? He looks great with the other Scouts. I've pretty much pledged that I'm only collecting Scouts from here on out (unless it's Optimus Prime-- that's a whole other issue). I mean, these little dudes are super awesome, super detailed, and super affordable-- what's not to love about 'em?

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The other day I got my latest Transformer figure. Walmart is having what appears to be a regional if not nationwide price cut on their TF figures. The Voyager sized figures are $13, the Power Core Combiner 2 packs are $7.50, the Scout class figures are $5, and the Legends class are $3.50. Not the greatest sale ever, but it makes each one just a bit more attractive to the thrifty TF fan!

I picked up one of the Scouts that I had been wanting to get, but the price kinda kept me from pulling the trigger. Scouts aren't the biggest Transformers (they stand roughly 5 inches tall), but they are very nicely made. Seeing one for $5 is much better than seeing one for $10.

This is Hubcap. He's an Autobot warrior (I guess-- they used to give them neat titles like "spy" or "commando", but now they just call them "Autobot" or "Decepticon.") who transforms into a classic hot rod. My dad says it looks like a 35 or 36 Ford... they can't really mimic some cars exactly due to licensing issues, so they sometimes get really close without being exact.

The car mode has a lot of style. I love classic cars, and it's really rare to see a Transformer who turns into one.

The car has a LOT of detail hidden here and there that didn't really need to be addressed in such a small toy. The door handles, gas cap, rumble seat handle, and even the tire air nozzles are sculpted in minute detail. On the front right tire there is even a sculpted tire balance weight that isn't sculpted on the others. That's a really nice bit of detail that really makes the toy stand out!

He's perfectly scaled to the Classic Voyager Prime, so that's nice. I love scale, but I've learned to live without a set scale in the Transformers toy universe!

The robot mode is just fantastic. He has a very dynamic build with just enough bulk to make him look adequate as a warrior, but with a lean enough frame to make him look like a spy.

Curved forms are rare on Transformers, so it's always nice to see it used well.

He's very poseable with at least 17 points of articulation (not including the parts that move when he transforms). So he can take on great action stances...

... as well as more subdued poses.

He looks great with other Scouts...

... and even better with the larger Voyager class figures.

Pretty spiffy!

The only drawback to the figure is a blatant lack of weaponry of any kind. His hands are molded open, and he can't really hold any standard TF weapons, which kinda sucks. I'd have been happy with guns molded into his arm panels, or the exhaust pipes pointing straight back in the car mode so they could be arm cannons in the bot mode... instead they bend outward, so they can't really be used that way.

Other than that, this is one cool little dude. If you dig little toys, robots, Transformers, and/or classic cars, take a look at Walmart while they last. $5 ain't bad at all for a super poseable action figure that's engineered to turn into a classic ride!